


Obsession

by VarLathVirSuledin



Category: Scrutinized (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 8,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26121367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VarLathVirSuledin/pseuds/VarLathVirSuledin
Summary: To clarify, this isn't going to be a story where the protagonist gets into all the sexy stuff with Tanner (although the thought is highly alluring)!So if you search for overly sexual content, you gotta search somewhere else ;)Might write a short text of YOU (your point of view) and Tanner, including some sexual content; will probably start as noncon.If you guys are interested, that is?Also I would be happy to receive comments, no matter if positive or negative (just don't be a douchebag about it; constructive critisism is a lot more helpful than a comment that reads "this is trash");Please forgive if some phrases are grammatically incorrect or if there are terms that aren't used in english. It is not my native language and since I wrote in my native language for the last 7 months, I am still a bit rusty. :)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> To clarify, this isn't going to be a story where the protagonist gets into all the sexy stuff with Tanner (although the thought is highly alluring)!  
> So if you search for overly sexual content, you gotta search somewhere else ;)
> 
> Might write a short text of YOU (your point of view) and Tanner, including some sexual content; will probably start as noncon.   
> If you guys are interested, that is?
> 
> Also I would be happy to receive comments, no matter if positive or negative (just don't be a douchebag about it; constructive critisism is a lot more helpful than a comment that reads "this is trash");  
> Please forgive if some phrases are grammatically incorrect or if there are terms that aren't used in english. It is not my native language and since I wrote in my native language for the last 7 months, I am still a bit rusty. :)

"So, did the boss like the column you wrote?” Viktor asked as he placed one of the two drinks in his hands in front of her and took a seat.   
“Jeez, don’t get me started on this one. According to him it was “poorly researched” and apparently it reads like “ a homework, a lazy student wrote 3 minutes before the hand over.” She rolled with her eyes as she cited the words Harry – her boss and a snobbish cunt – had told her only half an hour ago. The fact that he had to let her know that only seconds before finally clocking off work confirmed once again that he was a stupid and arrogant prick. Couldn’t he have waited until Monday? Now the whole weekend was going to be overshadowed by an unsatisfied feeling as well as by the stress about having to write the whole column anew, although the initial one would have sufficed. It surely was no masterpiece but definitely enough for that mediocre magazine she was working for. 

“Sounds like dirty Harry is picking on you again. I still believe his ulterior motive with you isn’t to drive you away but rather the opposite…” She rolled with her eyes.   
“Pleaaase, shut up about that, Viktor! I don’t want to hear it. It’s disgusting.” As she took a sip from the heavy cocktail, she grimaced, not only because of the despicable image of Harry and her inside her head but also because of the sudden and terribly strong taste of alcohol that occupied her mouth.   
“Harry and Samantha, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S..”   
“Shut up!” Viktor grinned widely and winked but – much to her astonishment- quit his infantile teasing. “Can we talk about something else now? Having work in mind on a Friday evening is definitely not on my most wanted list, you know.”   
“Sorry, sorry, mea culpa.. so how’s your father? Is he still in that mental institution?”   
“Yeah… well he is… I am not sure.. he has never been the same ever since Mama died but he’s gotten worse in the last two weeks. You know, whenever I talked to him before , I had that weird but quite assuring feeling that.. that he isn’t as mentally unstable as I or actually everyone else was led to believe.. but after this Wednesday…let’s just say, I am not too sure about that anymore.” 

"Huh? Why is that? What happened?”   
“He…”, she began, while an ice cold surge went through her spine. “He acted totally different. Usually he likes to joke around or play cards but.. two days ago, he wasn’t himself. He was unnerved, agitated, paced back and forth in his room, murmuring to himself while scratching his hands. I couldn’t understand a word, it was just gibberish and nonsense.. by the end of my visit, the back of his hands and fingers were bleeding…”   
“Oh, dear, I am so sorry to hear that.” As she stared forlornly into his eyes, she could see the distressed expression lying inside them and the worried look that he laid upon her. “Are you alright? It must have been tough.”   
“I am fine, really. I just don’t understand what’s wrong with him. He hasn’t acted like that in all those years.”   
“Without trying to be a smartass here, but mental disorders can come up at any time and place. It can take months, years, decades until the sickness shows its ugly side.” She nodded slowly yet approvingly.   
“That’s what the doctors told me as well. I just have to accept it as it is.” Sam could feel Viktors fingers on her arm, caressing it in a softly manner.


	2. Chapter 2

“Anyway… how is Cara?”, she then inquired and took another sip of her drink. This was neither the time nor the place to talk about such serious issues. 

“She is fine. Has a lot of work lately.” 

“Oh? So much going on in this little town?” 

“Apparently, yes. She usually doesn’t really talk about the cases the local police has but sometimes she lets out some details, especially when there could be an actual danger out there.” 

“Danger? What kind?”

He looked around as if he wanted to make sure that no one eavesdropped on them before he whispered in a low voice:” People have gone missing.” Sam doubtfully raised her eyebrows but before she could respond, he already continued:” I know what you are going to ask. The relatives and the ones aware had to sign something, promising that they will not talk about the missing persons nor anything else related to the case.” 

“And why the hell would they do that?” 

“Cara thinks, the police fears a mass panic. Do you have any idea how the people of this town will react when they hear that four women have gone missing in the past six days?”

“Four?”, she shrieked and stared at him in outrage. 

“Shush, be quiet! There is no need for the entire bar to hear it.” 

“Sorry, but.. seriously, how does the police want to keep this in the dark? Do they really believe that no one else will notice?” Viktor shrugged his shoulders and emptied his glass in one gulp. 

“Hell if I know. I just tell you this so you will take care. Don’t let any windows or doors open and leave some lights on when you’re out.” 

“Why would I leave anything open anyway? Who does that? But yeah, I will keep an eye on things.” A strange silence suddenly commenced and Samantha could clearly sense a very unpleasant feeling building up inside her stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, how does he do it? Breaks in, hits them until they faint and drags them with him? What does he do with these women?” 

“Really wish I could answer that, Sammy but I don’t have the slightest clue. As far as Cara told me, he drugs them.”

“Drugs?”, she repeated, her voice no more than a crackling whisper, hardly perceptible over the laughing and chatting of the other guests. She harrumphed loudly to get rid of the imminent dryness inside her mouth and gulped a few times to regain control over herself and her voice. “What kind of drugs?” 

“Unknown yet. They found a drop of it at two of the crime scenes and it currently gets investigated in the lab.” 

“Chloroform?”   
“I highly doubt it. What kind of kidnapper breaks into your house and applies chloroform onto a napkin while standing so close to his victim? They surely would have smelled it if he had been doing it so close to them, right?”   
Her heart dropped a beat and her muscles tensioned as she asked further:” Anyone knows what he looks like?” 

“No idea yet. But Cara said one of the women had surveillance cameras around the house. I guess they are still analyzing it.” 

“I see… hey, I know that might sound strange but… can you keep me up to date about this?” 

Viktor furrowed his brows as he examined her closely. “Suuuure… if you tell me why.” “Oh, eheh”, she laughed insincerely as she feverishly tried to come up with a lie. 

“You know me, I am a writer. Stuff like that inspires me a lot. Maybe I will finally be able to write my best seller, based on the kidnappings going on around here?” He gently shook his head from left to right, all the while staring right into her eyes, seeing if there was any reason not to believe her. After a few seconds he sighed. 

“Fine. But you have to promise not to tell anyone. Cara could lose her job if word gets out that she can’t keep her mouth shut. Also, if you are going to publish that and it will be a success….” Viktor continued but she wasn’t even listening anymore. Her trembling heart, her cramped muscles and the memories inside her mind caught her entire attention, the images trying to drag her to a past she didn’t want to be reminded of.   
“Sammy? Hey? Are you even listening to what I say?” 

“Huh? Ugh, sorry, I was lost in thoughts.” 

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” 

“Ah, well.. you know.. There is that guy I met online…”, she explained hastily to distract.

“Yeah, right, what was his name again? Daniel?” 

“Nathaniel, actually…” 

“Have you met him yet?” 

“No way, we just chatted..not sure if I should go on a date with him.” 

“IF you do, meet him in public. I don’t want to hear that you got kidnapped or murdered by some crazy dude from the internet.” Viktor laughed about his own words but Sam just couldn’t get herself to smile. He obviously did not take this whole situation with a criminal in town serious enough. How could the police keep quiet about this? All women in the city were in imminent danger and they did not even know about it. 

“Has the police at least informed everyone to be careful?” The question came out of nowhere and without context, so Viktor seemed dumbfounded by it.

“Uh, yes. They held a press conference at noon, I think.” 

“And the people won’t ask any further?!” It appeared too unrealistic that not a single person wanted to know more about it. The lack of curiosity in this area seemed dangerously high.

“Listen, I know you aren’t from here and things might have been different in Europe. But our little town trusts and believes in the police force. They will follow the rules and pray that everything will be alright.” 

“They… you are not included, I take it.” 

“Of course not. I am not a sheep who plays dumb while shit’s hitting the fan. I wanna be informed about what the hell is going on. That’s why I always question Cara when she comes from work.” He winked and gave her a big, bright smile. “Anyway, I am thirsty. Next round is on you?”


	4. Chapter 4

So, dinner tomorrow? Cara would love to have you over.”

“Count me in, I do love her cooking”, Sam smiled as she swiftly got out of the silver coloured Volvo. The October wind blew harshly, its cold gust touching her face. “Jesus, when did it get that cold?” 

“You should probably head in. And see that everything is closed in your house.” 

“Aye, aye, sir”, she responded laughingly, as she gently threw the car door into the lock and quickly paced towards her home. All lights were off when she entered, just as she had left them. The keys found their rest in the usual little bowl she used for storing all kinds of things she often seemed to misplace. Hair needles, bobbles, small change and the like. With a grim sigh she got herself a fresh coke from the fridge, took it over to her desk and seated herself. The report was due to Monday and although that meant she still had two days to write it, she decided it would best be done as soon as possible. Besides that, it would also make sure that her mind would be fully occupied and couldn’t wander off into the dark past. With a little blowing sound her laptop turned on and her fingers were already on the keyboard, eagerly waiting for her brain to give commands.

“Maybe I should take a look at the old column to see where to get started”, she murmured, while searching for it on her desktop. It wasn’t there. She went over file by file, opened every document, looked into every folder but it simply didn’t pop up anywhere. “Goddamnit.” She had to call Mary, Harrys personal secretary and queen bitch of the estrogen mill in the company that invented rumours and sought to keep them alive for as long as possible. 

“Hey, Mary. So sorry to disturb you that late but I am sure you are still somewhere around Harry?” Probably getting laid by him. 

“Samantha! Oh, it’s fine, don’t worry. Harry is occupied at the moment, what can I do for you?”, the woman on the other side of the phone responded, her honeyed voice as fake as the pink acrylic nails on her hands. 

“It seems I accidentally deleted todays column from my laptop and in order to write a new and better one, I need the old one.” 

“Harry sure has it on his computer but he is not in his office… I can tell him to send it to you tomorrow morning?” 

“That would be much appreciated. Thank you, Mary.” 

“Anytime, Sam. Have a good night.” Before she could even respond, she heard the well known beep sound. That bitch didn’t even wait for a reply. With a growling sound she placed the phone on the desk and stared onto the empty desktop, her eyes filled with an expression of anger and discontent. A quick glance to the clock on the wall told her it was only 10:30 in the evening. Definitely too early to go to bed, especially on a Friday evening. She wondered if she was supposed to go out again, into a club or the bar around the corner but soon came to realize that she was far too lazy for that.   
Suddenly there was the sound of a shutter clapping against a window and she started up from her chair. The howling that followed soon calmed her racing heart as she remembered the wind outside. “Just the wind, silly. Nothing to get in panic over”, she whispered to herself and took a big sip from the coke. It prickled painfully inside her throat. Stupid fake coke. She should have gone for the original one. Since she couldn’t do her work she decided to watch a movie instead. Even if it wasn’t thrilling, it surely would be a nice soporific and she wouldn’t need to take the sleeping pills she normally swallowed almost every evening. Just as she was about to lay down on the bulky sofa, a short, high sound emanated from her laptop, making her halt in her tracks. A new email? She turned on the spot and clicked on the envelope. 

“Huh..?” 

“Peek-a-boo! Here is the column you sent me today. It actually turned out pretty good, I am sorry for being such a prick earlier and…well, you know, in general. I really appreciate having you here in the company and I have always been a great admirer of your work.” She stared at the screen, completely staggered by the letters i-n front of her. That was a joke, right? He must have been kidding, Harry, the egocentric, arrogant Harry could never have written such words. It was a certainty that he could not even combine those exact words in his mind without having a stroke. There must be more to it. She scrolled down to the bottom but there was nothing more but the appendix. 

“What the actual fuck…?” She simply couldn’t catch the meaning behind this email. Was her serious about that? He wasn’t the type for making such kind of jokes. Maybe he had a bit too much wine while spending the evening with Mary the side kick? There was no other option, really. She thought about it for some time more but determined that it was the wine, vodka or beer that spoke out of him. A mediocre gag from a mediocre boss running a mediocre magazine, that’s all. She opened the appendix and found the column, but it wasn’t in its original form. Harry must have changed the fount of the script, since it wasn’t in normal Calibri but in a strange, distorted one she had never seen before. It looked terribly weird, as if most of the letters jumped up and down on the digital screen. She knit her brows but didn’t want to waste more time on the absurd behaviour her boss displayed tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Her phone rang all of a sudden and she immediately picked up. “Yeah?”

“Hey, Sam, it’s me.” 

“Hi Viktor. What’s up?”

“Cara just came from work and brought some juice details with her.” 

“What’s news?” 

“Apparently that kidnapper guy uses Midazolam to drug the women. He injects it.” Samantha could clearly feel the sudden wave of weakness flooding over her body, could sense the unpleasant prickling inside her fingers like pins and needles. Her heart pumped unnaturally rapid inside her chest as if it was trying to escape, while the muscles in her thigs and knees shivered so much that she nearly collapsed onto the floor. She breathed deeply through nose and mouth but it seemed like no matter how greedily her lungs demanded air there simply wasn’t enough. 

“Sam? Sammy?” 

“Oh god.. oh god…” 

“Samantha, what’s wrong?” 

“I… I am sorry, I have to go.”   
#  
“Hey, where the hell are you goi…?” She absent-mindedly pressed the red button on her phone. 

“No…it can’t be…”, she whispered, her eyes tearing up. Full of panic she ran around the room, turned on each and every light she could find, went for the doors, checked all locks, closed windows and shutters in the entire house. Her heart was racing by the time she found herself in the living room again, tears were running down her face like small rivers. She had deleted EVERYTHING, every trace that led to her, her name, her location, her roots. Every document, every bill, every tiny little scrap of information about her and the past had been decimated and still he was here. He still had been able to find her inmidst this small, inconspicuous town. 

“No, it’s.. it’s impossible.. it must be a coincidence…”, she tried to calm herself down. Yes, that must have been it! Midazolam wasn’t a rare medication to use. She could clearly remember the article she had read years ago, in which a French doctor had talked about purpose, side effects and dangers of the drug. It was common among doctors, was often utilized as premedication before performing surgery and it also had positive effects on people suffering from epilepsy and different kinds of syndroms. Her mother had to take it ever since Sam had been a child. Obtaining in surely wasn’t much a hassle, it was offered normally in drug stores and pharmacies, she often had to go to the apothecary in her hometown to fetch it when Mama hadn’t been feeling well. It could either be injected as liquid or swallowed as pill. On one occasion she had asked her mother why she insisted taking it orally.   
The pills were huge and Sam had always somehow feared that she would choke on one of it someday. Mama always had smiled and explained that she just couldn’t stand needles, especially not when they were drilled into her body. Of course it was easier for a kidnapper to work with a syringe. The thought of someone trying to force a victim to swallow a pill in order to get abducted was both bizarre and somehow amusing and she quickly shoved that image inside her head aside. Her heart had calmed down while recollecting everything she knew about Midazolam and that disgusting feeling of upcoming panic had almost vanished completely. She had been overreacting, there was nothing for her to worry about. That was one of these moments when she started questioning herself and what she had claimed to have seen many years in the past.


	6. Chapter 6

The doctors had always told her that her mother had died from an overdose of Midazolam and that it was evident that she took too much of the pills deliberately. They matter of factly explained that she had been mentally unstable and wished for a painless and peaceful death, but Samantha had never believed that. She knew what she saw on that evening, she still could see the image of her mother in front of the computer, her fingers running swiftly over the keyboard. Sam had been laying on the sofa, tired, exhausted from the hard day at school. The TV had been on but she didn’t pay much attention to the bright flashing images on the screen. Papa had to work the nightshift in the factory. Wind brushed through the dark green leaves of the birch trees outside, carrying the rustling sound they produced through the open window. With the chirping of the crickets hiding in the high grass it made for an eerily but beautiful orchestra.   
At some point she hadn’t been able to keep her eyes open any longer for she had woken up not much later. Whatever had happened in front of her after that sudden wake up, her doctors later called an “escape of reality”. They assumed that Sam had found her dead mother at the desk and in order to cope with it, to flee from what actual realityshe, or her subconciousness to be precise, had fabricated the illusion of a man in a white lab coat with a red tie, in his hand a syringe. In the first years Sam had been 100% certain that whatever she had witnessed there had been the true reality but after countless session at her psychotherapists office, with each of his attempts to make her question what she believed, this doubtlessness had started to falter and crumble. And right now was a moment, where she did not know what was true and what not. 

Maybe it had been her mind playing tricks on her all along and that tiny prank of her brain was the only one to be held responsible for the ridiculous paranoia and panic she had undergone only seconds ago. Had it really been a stranger man, a maniac in a doctors coat that had brought death upon her mother or did she only want to believe that? Perhaps her mother had indeed been unhappy with her life, had suffered too much from her illness, had seen no other way out of her misery and Sam had always just been blind to see what was actually going on? 

Sammy?” She gasped and turned on her heels just to see a familiar face standing in her open door frame. 

“Viktor! What the…? You scared me! What are you doing here?” 

“Oh, no, missy, don’t you dare say I scared YOU! YOU scared me! You just hung up without explanation, I was worried sick and tried to call you a million times! For the love of god, tell me what’s going on!” 

“I….I… when you called I thought there was someone outside my window, that’s all. I went to check but it was just the neighbors cat…” 

“What the hell makes you believe hanging up was a good option?! Imagine there indeed had been someone?!” The worry was clearly written all over his face and she sensed a sharp sting of remorse inside her chest. 

“I am sorry, Viktor. It wasn’t my intention to scare you that much that you come and drive by. I acted without thinking and…” She inserted a tiny break in which she let out a small laugh. “I wanted to be a hero, full of valor and without fear.” His mien still showed signs of genuine anger but he couldn’t help but give her a crooked smile. 

“Not much of a hero left if it hadn’t been a cat, right?” 

“Yeah…”, she murmured in embarrassment and avoided his gaze. 

“Alright, so you swear by whatever is holy to you, that you are fine? I don’t want to come over again the next time I call you.” 

“I solemnly swear, I am absolutely and completely fine”, she said in a ceremonial manner. Viktor still didn’t seem fully convinced but asked no further. 

“Okay. Do you want me to stay?” 

“No, god no! I am good! All the talk about that kidnapper probably induced some minor panic, don’t ask me why.” 

“But you still want me to keep you up to date?” 

“Yes”, she responded firmly. “Yes, please.” 

“Fair enough. Well… I will be off then. Call if you need something.” 

“Thanks, I will. Good night.” Instead of leading him out , she simply stood in the middle of the living room and watched him leave. The door clunk shut, the key was turned in the look and she found herself on her own again. A deep-drawn sigh escaped her lungs. After Viktors visit which somehow had helped cleansing her mind of all the bad memories, the dread and anxiety she had sensed before appeared ridiculous and she felt utterly stupid that she had let her emotions take control over her. Nothing terrible had even happened, why was she so scared? Because of a murder that she thought she had witnessed? How absurd! She clearly felt the heat of shame crawling up her face, giving her skin a tint of red. By the she returned to her laptop, her heart beat at a normal rate again and not even the slightest shrink of fear had prevailed. Instead the pudency over her illogical and immature reactions burned in her chest.   
She was more than grateful that no one had witnessed her little outbreak, especially not Viktor. He didn’t know much about her past and the thought of explaining everything to him, was both frightening and agonizing. Beside the fact that she would probably start crying while going into details she had longed to forgot, he would probably keep her for a crazy person. How could he not? What would she think about someone if they told her that story? She scoffed as she energetically shook her head and tried to focus on her next task. With a single click the appendix – her column – was open again, the white of the digital sheet blinding her in the first second. “Let’s get this over with then”, she sighed, as her fingers ran across the keyboard.


	7. Chapter 7

“Hi!” 

“Hey, hey! Please, come in. No more cats on the porch last night?”, Viktor asked impishly, as he stepped aside to let her enter. 

“Ha-ha, very funny”, Sam responded dryly as she progressed through the opened door. “Where is Cara?” 

“What? Am I not good enough to keep you company?” She gave him an annoyed look which he only laughed about. “She is in the kitchen, of course. Someone has to make dinner and it sure as hell ain’t me.” 

“Its probably the best for all of us if you leave your hands off anything edible. Or do I have to remind you what happened last time?” He grinned widely. 

“You needn’t remember me, I still have a queasy rumbling in my stomach whenever I eat anything in a casserole. Anyway, are you in the mood for some wine? I got a pretty nice red one here.” 

“Sure, why not.” 

“Neat, I will fetch it from the cellar. Go ahead, say hi to Cara in the meantime.” She watched him roam towards the cellar door and then found her way to the kitchen. 

“Mhh, that smells delicious!”, she exclaimed as soon as she entered. The air was filled with the scent of garlic, lemongrass and something unfamiliar. 

“Heey, Sammy! It’s so nice to see you, it’s been ages!” Cara, with the honey blonde hair and the sparkling green eyes, wore a genuine smile as she left the pan on the stove and came to hug her. 

“Thanks for the invitation, I am really happy that you found the time with all the work you have.” 

“I should have known that Viktor couldn’t keep his mouth shut”, Cara grumbled but it didn’t seem like she was all too serious about it. 

“Well, you know him. Gossip travels fast once Viktor is aware of it. Don’t worry, though, you know I would never tell anyone , right?” 

“Of course, of course! The first thing he does if gets some infos, is running to you. Do you think I would tell him anything if I didn’t trust you?” The blonde woman winked but the joyful expression on her face soon vanished and turned into honest concern. “Viktor told me about yesterday evening, are you ok? We were both worried as hell.” Sam dismissed it with a wave of her hand and laughed. 

“False alarm, everything was fine. I was just exhausted and a bit on edge. I am good.” 

“I am glad to hear that! Well, don’t stand around, make yourself useful then! I can always use a helping hand here.” 

“What can I do?” 

“Cut some tomatoes and… hmm.. oh yeah right, the potatoes as well.” Sam glanced at all the ingredients and vegetables on the counters. 

“Holy, how many people will you have for dinner tonight?” Cara seemed irritated as she returned to the stove and kept stirring the content in the pan. 

“huh? What do you mean?” With a swift look to the side though her confusion wore off as soon as it had come. “Ooh, haha, it’s just the three of us. You aren’t supposed to cut ALL of this stuff, you know? I just came back from the grocery store and had no time to store it all.” Sam nodded, while she took a knife out of the blade holder and started cutting the fresh tomatoes, their juice running over her fingers as she did. 

“So, any news about that kidnapper?” Cara groaned. 

“Really? Do we have to talk about work? Isn’t it enough that Viktor keeps asking every hour?” 

“Sorry, sorry! I am just curious. Such agitating and terrible things usually don’t happen around here.” 

“You needn’t tell me, I am a police officer, I am well aware of what’s going on around here”, she countered, her voice a bit sharper than Sam had expected. She knew very well that Cara did not like sharing stuff from the office but she had never reacted like that. “Ugh… Forgive me, Sam. Have been some rough days lately and my patience with all that shit going on is running low. That maniac is still running free and we haven’t got the slightest clue about his motives, his looks, his…his anything!” The way Cara poked around in the heated pan showed, how deeply upset and angered she was. 

“Come on, you already know what drug he uses. And Viktor mentioned something about surveillance cameras? Didn’t they show something?”, Sam asked calmly, as she threw a critical gaze towards the other woman, hoping that her question wouldn’t fluster her even more. 

“Well, if the guys from the department would actually FINISH analyzing it, we MIGHT be smarter but I really don’t have any idea what the hell they are doing. They have the tapes since yesterday and still - nothing.” Witnessing her friend being like that right now somehow unsettled Sam. Cara had never been the type to curse or get mad at something or someone. She had always been kind, understanding and the the most patient woman Sam had ever met. Not once had she seen Cara lose her temper, neither when leading heated debates – which weren’t many but still - , nor that one time when Viktor almost set the entire house on fire while trying to bake a cake for her birthday.   
Sure, she had been in a slight panic – fire wasn’t something to laugh at – but she hadn’t shouted at him for being inattentive or for getting both of them into danger, quite the contrary. She had smiled as gently and mellow as always and had thanked god that nothing had happened. A grave sigh brought her back into reality. 

“It’s just that I feel so powerless. Pretty much everyone at the police station feels like that. I know we are to be quiet about it but how can we do that? The people should know that some crazy guy is on the loose.”

“I agree on that. Especially because your boss won’t be able to keep this quiet for a long time. Don’t want to know peoples reaction when they hear that the police knew about it all along.”

“Yeah… neither do I… I sure hope we can arrest him before word gets out”, Cara said grimly as she took the pan from the stove and placed it on an empty and cold hotplate. “Are you done with the tomatoes?” 

“Eh, yeah , sure.” 

“Perfect. I am sure you will LOVE what I create for you today.” The blonde woman – in her face no visible trace of anger or upset anymore – grinned and without knowing why, Sam suddenly had an ominous feeling inside her chest.


	8. Chapter 8

Well, guys, help yourself as long as its warm.” Sam looked at the countless plates and dishes on the large dining table, not only astonished by the quantity but also by the alluring smell that occupied the whole room. 

“My god, Cara, who is supposed to eat all of that?”, Victor asked, whereupon his girlfriend just laughed. 

“Sorry, it’s my first time cooking this. I guess I overdid it. But, Sammy, if you enjoy it, you can take some leftovers with you when you go?” 

“Sure thing, thanks!” She inspected the steaming food and deeply inhaled its scent. Something about it felt awfully familiar but she couldn’t quite catch what it was. 

“So , are you gonna tell us what you cooked?” 

“It’s saltimbocca! With chicken meat thought, not veal. And in addition some roasted tomatoes with onions and garlic, fresh salad with olives and sweet pepper and fresh baked ciabatta. I would have loved to bake it myself but there wasn’t enough time.” “Saltimbocca?”, Sam repeated.

“Yes? Do you know it?” Of course she did. It was her Mamas favourite dish. Ever since she had been to Italy , there had not been one single Sunday without saltimbocca for dinner. She could vividly remember how solemnly her mother had always prepared the table, almost as if it was some kind of reverential ritual. Also, whenever Sammy had scurried through the kitchen – Mama insisted on being on her own while cooking – she had been humming that specific tune, a melody, Sam had never heard before, neither on the radio nor the television. It sounded exotic, possessed a fast rhythm but at the same time a particular tenderness. She must have heard it somewhere in Italy.  
In hindsight it appeared that Mama had always been happiest on those Sundays.

“Sam?” 

“Yeah, I know it”, she said hastily and quickly grabbed a piece of meat from the plate. 

“If you don’t like it, you needn’t eat it.” 

“I do like it, I love it actually. My mama often made this.” 

“Oh…I apologize, I didn’t know.” Sam waved it off and put on a smile. 

“Don’t worry! As you said before, I LOVE that.” 

“But if it reminds you of you mom…” 

“She has been dead for many years now, Cara. And I think about her a lot lately. That’s nothing bad.” The blonde woman seemed relieved. 

“Well, perfect! Let’s dig in, then!” Sam watched as the others filled their empty plates, somehow not feeling hungry anymore. The coincidence that Cara had cooked her mothers favourite meal would normally go unnoticed, would probably even delight her but not on this evening. The information about the kidnapper using midazolam, the painful memories from her old life and then this? It didn’t feel like a mere coincidence, not at all, it somehow felt…orchestrated. As if someone had planned this all along, someone she could not quite grasp yet. Her eyes fell on Viktor , stayed there for a few seconds and then switched to Cara. Her only true friends in this town. As she watched them exchanging intimate looks, a slight sense of panic creeped up in her heart. What if…. 

“Helloooo, Sam? Are you there?” 

“What?”, she gasped. 

“Jesus, where is your head, missy?” Both of them stared at her in eager anticipation.

“Sorry, did you ask something?” 

“Cara wanted to know how your work is going.” 

“Oh.. well, good I suppose.” Viktor raised an eyebrow and threw her a skeptical glance. “I mean, Harry is still a pain in the ass and the girls working there are… well let’s say, not quite to my liking but all in all it’s good.” 

“Soo…they are bitches?”, Cara grinned as she shoved a spoon full of tomatoes into her mouth. 

“Haha, damn right. Especially Mary… I could tell you a few things or two about her…”, Sam continued and soon found herself brabbling about stories of her boss’s side kick, amusing all three of them for the rest of dinner. By the end of the evening, she had not once felt another wave of panic any more. 

All just a product of her vivid but sometimes rather frightening imagination.


	9. Chapter 9

“Thanks for driving me home. I should have said no to the last glass.” 

“To the last COUPLE of glasses, you mean”, Cara giggled as she started the engine of the silver volvo and slowly began to drive down the road. The night was unusually black, the large clouds did their very best to hide the moon behind them.   
“But I know how hard it can be to say no to Viktor. Even if you had declined, he would have persisted and discussed until that determined no would have switched into a defeated yes. That’s part of his charm, I guess.” Samantha laughed audibly. 

“So, that is how you two got together then? He kept asking until you changed your mind?”

“Of course not.” The blond woman snickered. “Although, I have to admit, the first time he asked me out I sent him away.” 

“Why?” 

“Ah, well I came fresh from the police school and I was so eager to climb the job ladder as fast as I could.” 

“But you still can, right? You are only.. what? 28?” 

“29 to be precise.” 

“Pff, still a baby!” 

“Aren’t you younger than me?”, Cara asked, trying to sound dry. One look on her face was enough though to tell that her lips were still curled into a big smile. 

“You are right, but only two years. Not that much.” 

“I am practically an old hag!” 

“Nonsense!”, Sam exclaimed as she directed her gaze outside the window. A few lamp post illuminated the slowly withering bushes beneath them, their small branches and leaves swaying in the wind. Both streets and sidewalks were deserted, no couples going for a late night walk, no secret lovers sharing their feelings in the safety of shadows nor any dog owners doing laps with their pets. Maybe it was too cold for it? If so, Sam -thanks to all the heavy red wine – wouldn’t have noticed while leaving Viktors house and getting into the car. She really shouldn’t have drunk that much, she could already feel the hangover that would going to make tomorrow a terrible day. 

“Well, here we are! You have everything? Phone, keys, left overs…?” 

“Yep, all in my bag. Thanks again for the evening and for getting me home safe and sound.” 

“Anytime, Sammy. We should do that more often.” 

“Agreed, whenever you find the time!” She quickly unbuckled her seat belt, swung the car door open, exited and closed it behind her. It was even windier than yesterday but this time she couldn’t sense the airs icy touch on her face. 

“Don’t forget to lock everything!”, she heard Cara shout through the closed door. 

“Will do!”, she answered just as loud and waved her friend goodbye. She watched the car drive away until it completely disappeared in the silent darkness of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

As she leisurely entered her home, her head started to feel dizzy.   
“Ugh”, she groaned. Alcohol and cold air had never been a good combination. She headed over to the fridge, stored the leftovers -which were far too much for one person – and grabbed herself some mineral water. She longed to get some rest but was well aware of the consequences if she indeed laid down and closed her eyes. Helicopter. That stupid thing when you had too much alcohol and go to bed and everything in and around your head just starts spinning like crazy. It was one of the most terrible feelings she had ever experienced and it almost always resulted in her spending the entire night on the toilet. She wasn’t eager to camp in her bathroom , so Sam decided to turn on the tv and play some minigames on her phone. 

Before she dragged herself over to the couch, she checked each window in every room and locked all the doors in the house. The thought of that kidnapper lurking around town was still present but didn’t induce any sort of panic or paranoia at the moment and also that weird coincidence with the food was, now that she clearly reflected it, nothing more than that: a coincidence. 

“You and your fancy imagination”, she giggled as she dropped onto the sofa and pressed the green button on the remote. The screen lit up and bright flashing images appeared only a few seconds later. Some sort of sitcom was running. She quickly read the title. Never heard or saw that before but that wasn’t much of a surprise. Ever since moving here, she had never really watched a lot of tv. Work had her in its tight grasp almost the entire week and whenever she had nothing to do, she filled the time with even more writing. No matter if short texts, poems or longer stories, she wrote about everything that somehow felt good to her. A trait she inherited from her mother. Or had she only started after she had died?   
Sam thought about that but couldn’t remember when her love for literacy had unfolded. It didn’t matter anyway. Important was that it somehow satisfied her and also made her feel closer to her Mama. She surely would have been proud to see Sam follow in her footsteps. 

Another sip of water found its way down her throat and she nearly choked on it when the familiar sound of an incoming email echoed through the room. Coughing frantically, she heaved herself up from the comfortable position she had been in and scuffled towards the desk. The email came from Harry and it surely was his answer to the text she had sent him yesterday evening. She sighed and opened it, hoping that the new column was more to his liking. Typing another one was definitely no task she could see herself doing right now.


	11. Chapter 11

"Glad you found the column yourself, totally forgot sending it to you in the morning. New column looks fine, definitely better than the old one. No clue what came over you to write such nonsense.  
Anyway, second one will be properly proofread and will appear in the edition on tuesday, page 11."  
Her heart skipped a beat while cold sweat started forming on her brow. What? Her subconciousness had filtered the crucial and alarming information, already made her body react while her mind, as dizzy and drowsy as it was, had to read it again. And again. After going over it for at least five times, the sudden realization that finally found its way into her brain brought an explosion of emotions with it. Her fingers shivered like aspen leaves when she typed.

"You didn't send me the old column?"   
Her eyes were glued to the screen as she waited for his reply. The erratic pounding in her chest felt disgusting and somewhat irregular, as if she was about to have a heart attack. Although boozed, her mind was still present and clear enough to throw questions at her. Questions, she absolutely did not want to think about, issues that craved for a logical explanation but she had no answers to. If he had not forwarded that email to her.... who did? Mary? No way. Under no circumstances would Harry allow someone else to use his computer, it was sacred to him. But if neither her boss nor his bitchy secretary were to blame, nor anyone else from the office...  
She swallowed hard but couldn't get rid of the huge lump in her dry throat. If indeed some unknown person had send her the email, that meant that the very same stranger had overheard her conversation with Mary otherwise he wouldn't been able to know that she needed it so urgently. That however suggested that... someone had been here. Inside our outside.  
Her eyes darted towards the window, goggled intensely into the blackness lurking outside. She couldn't spot anything, but the direful feeling of being watched inflamed in her midst and she all of a sudden jumped up from the chair.  
She dashed into every room, her feet so fast that she almost tripped on the parquet floor. No corner, no places behind doors, not a single location where someone could have hid himself escaped her widened, searching gaze. No one there.  
The closet!  
Empty.  
Under the bed!  
Vacant.  
No matter where she went, no one was to be found yet that spine-chilling sensation of being watched stayed with her.


	12. Chapter 12

After turning off each light in the entire house, she quickly returned to the living room, searched frantically for the remote and, after finding it, pressed the red button. From one second to the next everything went almost black. Solely the screen of her laptop on her desk illuminated a tiny area, throwing a sinister shadow onto the ground. An eerie silence laid itself unto the room like an impenetrable layer and not even the wind’s haunting tune could find its way inside. All she could perceive was her own, painfully rapid heartbeat and her fast panting. 

She had to call someone, Viktor, the police, anyone! 

Surrounded by shadows she felt better but still far from safe. Her trembling heart wouldn’t find rest as long as she was alone in the house. As noiseless as possible she sneaked to her bag in desperate search for her phone. She couldn’t see a damn thing in this darkness, so she took it over to the faint light of her laptop.  
But not even the brightest sun beams could have helped her find it.  
It wasn’t there.

But something else was. 

A faint breeze of cold wind touched her back. 

A single creaking of the parquet emanated from the darkness.

A hushed giggle, hardly perceptible, echoed through lightless room.


	13. Chapter 13

Looking for something?”, an amused voice accompanied by the often heard SMS tone of her phone came from somewhere behind her. Her entire body instantly froze and her heart - only second before going crazy inside her chest – skipped the next couple of beats. 

“You got a message from Viktor. You surely don’t mind if I take a look?” She wanted to act, do anything but she found herself being incapable of moving and when she opened her mouth, not really knowing what to say, the only thing that came over her lips was an empty gust of breath. 

“He sent you a picture, an identikit to be precise.” Her eyes were burning with tears as she listened to his bizarre monolog.  
“Hm… not the best picture of me. Do I really look like that? What would you say?” His light footsteps on the wooden floor that definitely moved into her direction made her flinch, yet when she tried to turn around to at least see who the hell was there, her muscles still gave no reaction. She was glued to the spot she was standing on and with each, agonizingly slow step from the intruder, her body got tenser and stiffer. Only her brain seemed to be working and presented her with several images, one more horrendous than the other. 

A terrifying assumption crossed her mind and sent a shockwave down her spine, made her arms and legs tremble in gentle unison. Whatever had happened the last two days -the email from Harry , the revelation that the kidnapper used midazolam, the coincidence with Cara’s cuisine – might just not have happened at random, might not have been a mere click of fate’s fingers.

A sudden movement right behind her ripped her out of her thoughts. She gasped inaudibly as she sensed a warmth on her back that made each and every hair on her body stand bolt upright, as if they tried to flee. All of her cells screamed at her to wake up, to come to her senses, to run outside, to literally do anything. 

She did not move.

Her eyes were wide open as the lit screen of her phone came into her line of sight. Tears were streaming down her face, transformed everything into a big blur. She had no desire to see what was there and she eagerly tried not to blink. 

To no avail.   
Another watery river found its way past her pale cheeks and what emerged in front of her gaze sent her into a spiral of disbelief, shock and terror.


	14. Chapter 14

The picture on the screen was tiny and hardly identifiable but it showed enough to almost send her into unconsciousness. Instead though it brought her back to that mind shattering evening she so eagerly had wanted to forget;   
to the chirping crickets and the rustling wind, to the sound of her mothers fingers running swiftly and gently across the keyboard and ultimately to the stranger man in the white lab coat who was displayed on the image in front of her.

"So? What would you say, Samantha? Or would you rather prefer being called by your real name?" She could hear him smile as his whispering voice sounded beside her ear, his hot breath tingling the skin on her neck. 

"Ava."  
The way he tenderly, almost fondly spoke her name, to actually hear someone say it after all these years...

"Aren't you going to turn around, Ava? Playing coy, huh?" His giggling that followed sent a shiver down her spine. "Let me make the first step then."  
With those words the warmth she had felt on her back vanished and the cold took over again. The faint aroma of his perfume occupied her nose as he paced around her and - although not wanting it - she couldn't help but inhale deeply.  
It smelled so familiar, of cedarwoodd and moss with the slightest bit of lemon, yet she did not know when or where she scented it before.  
It reminded her of someone... no, something...no...

It was no memory induced by the aroma.

There were emotions tied to it.

She couldn't explain nor understand why , but she all of a sudden felt somehow less endangered, less terrified... as if that certain perfume had a relaxing effect on her. Even her heart responded to that smell, for it shortly returned to its usual, slow speed.  
That alone was cause enough to lapse into a panic once more, to get drowned by another wave of profound desperation but paired with the man stepping into the front of her eyes, it possessed the capability to fully and completely shatter her mind into a million, unusable pieces.


	15. Chapter 15

“Peek-a-boo!”

Another giggle. 

Straight, white teeth in the dark. Grinning. 

Brown eyes. Observing her. 

A white lab coat. Red tie. Hands behind his back. 

She could not breathe. Tried to inhale. No air. Gasping.

A stinging pain in her neck. Everything melted. Merged.

No sounds. No voice. No fear. No despair.

Only darkness embracing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! :)
> 
> For those of you saying "Omg that end was bulls*it" - well it is not the end of the journey, just the finale of part 1.  
> There will be a sequel and it will be different. Tanner, besides Ava, will be the main protagonist (and not just acting from the shadows).
> 
> Also I will probably (depending on how many people are interested) make an audio version of "Obsession" - just not sure yet if I should include voice actors or make it more like an audiobook.
> 
> In any event, thanks for those who stayed with me till the end and those who will continue the story with me!


End file.
